Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday said that 97.38 per cent of people living with HIV in the state contracted the virus through unprotected sex and by sharing needles and syringes.
While launching the Intensified IEC campaign on HIV and the HIV Test Drive campaign, Lalduhoma emphasized the need to prioritize villages and border areas for HIV awareness, as the infection has spread across all parts of the state.
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He stressed that people can avoid infection only by taking preventive measures and said that they must actively seek information about the disease to protect their health.
“Active and widespread awareness programmes are essential to improve public knowledge. Villages and border areas should be given priority since HIV has spread across the entire state,” Lalduhoma said.
He pointed out that, despite good levels of awareness, people do not fully follow prevention practices and called for innovative and impactful awareness initiatives.
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According to health officials, Lalduhoma said that during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, people transmitted 97.38 per cent of HIV cases through unprotected sex and by sharing needles among injecting drug users.
Of these, sexual transmission accounted for 68.13 per cent of the cases, while people contracted 29.25 per cent of the cases by sharing needles and syringes, he added.
The Chief Minister urged people to change their mindset, avoid drug use and unprotected sex, and take personal responsibility to prevent transmission to others.
He also urged village authorities and community leaders to work closely with health workers in combating the spread of the disease.
In addition, he called on the Young Mizo Association (YMA) to support the government’s efforts by spreading awareness in villages and through YMA programmes about the dangers of unprotected sex and injecting drugs, which are the main causes of the high HIV transmission rate in the state.
Health Minister Lalrinpuii, who also attended the event, encouraged everyone to know their HIV status and support prevention efforts.
She said HIV/AIDS remains a serious concern in the state, and noted that some people still engage in unprotected sex and needle sharing despite knowing the associated risks.
According to officials, Mizoram has reported a total of 32,994 HIV-positive cases since October 1990, when the virus was first detected in the state.
During the 2024–2025 fiscal year, 2,471 people, including 869 women, tested positive for the virus.
Officials also stated that 97 per cent of HIV cases are preventable, and Mizoram ranks fifth among Indian states for effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes.
As part of the Intensified IEC Campaign, officials will carry out awareness and testing activities in 88 villages across all 11 districts, aiming to maximize testing coverage during the campaign period.